This portion of the alt.horror.cthulhu FAQ was brought to you by Donovan K. Loucks
(webmaster@hplovecraft.com).

Q: What board/card games are available based on Lovecraft or
the Mythos?

A: Although the “Call of Cthulhu” role-playing game is the primary
form of Lovecraftian gaming, HPL’s influence has crept into other forms of
games.

“Arkham Horror” (Chaosium 1050). Arkham Horror (sometimes referred to
as the “board game version of Call of Cthulhu”) is a game for 1 to 8
players who move about the streets and buildings of Arkham, Mass., trying
to close ‘gates’ that are opening in the space/time continuum. The catch
is that monsters are pouring through those gates, making the streets
particularly dangerous. Plus, closing gates requires the player to go
through the gate (into some dangerous ‘outer world’), survive for 2 turns,
return, and physically and/or magically blast the gate closed (sometimes
tough).

Although Arkham Horror was an overnight success, Chaosium has chosen to
turn its back on this game. It is out of print, and Chaosium has no plans
to bring it back, even though people are asking for it to be reprinted.
Chaosium is also flatly rejecting any submissions for ‘expansions’ to
Arkham Horror, even though (at least) two have been completely developed
and submitted.

“Creatures & Cultists” (Pagan Publishing PAG2000). Includes 128
cards, 8 play sheets, and is for 3 to 5 players. “Our furiously fuggly
card game is now available everywhere-fast, funny, and full of Cthulhoid
delights! From 3-5 players take the roles of Cthulhu cultists, bent on
world domination. Each player sends out their thugs, sorcerers, and
monsters to obliterate the enemy. Special event cards like Suck The
Presidents Brain and the notorious Girl Scout Raid add to the wacko mix” -
Taken from the Pagan Publishing Catalog

“Dark Cults” (Dark House Publishing). This is a storytelling card
game from 1983, written by Kenneth Rahman. The game is moody, and light
on mechanics. The fantastic black and white artwork on the cards is also
by Rahman (using the pseudonym “Eymoth”) and is worth the cost of the game
itself. The logo for Dark House bears more than a passing resemblance to
that of Arkham House.

“Illuminati”
(Steve Jackson). Illuminati is a table top card game based around the concept of secretive
illuminati groups plotting world domination. One of the standard illuminati groups are “The
Servants of Cthulhu,” their objective being to destroy 8 ‘regular’ (non-illuminati)
groups.

“Macho Women with Guns” (Blacksburg Tactical Research Center).
Role-playing table-top board wargame (huh?). Perhaps the ultimate spoof
game, it includes dread Bthulhu (illustrated wearing shorts & shades, &
carrying a surfboard - horrifying!) and the fearsome Isaac Azathoth as
monsters. A supplement includes a scenario in which the heroines are
transported to Ryleh [sic - I think I got that right] and must fight their
way back to the beach without being turned into Monster Chow (TM) or -
horror of horrors - chipping their nail-polish.

“Mythos”
(Chaosium). Mythos is Chaosium’s venture into the collectible card game market. Just as
Arkham Horror is considered the “board game version of Call of Cthulhu,” Mythos is the
card game version. Cards are distributed in 60-card starter decks and 13-card booster packs. The
starter decks are formed from a 200-card starter set of cards, while the boosters are formed from a
combination of the starter set and the booster sets. The three booster sets are titled Expeditions
of Miskatonic University, Cthulhu Rising, and Legends of the Necronomicon. An independent set of
cards, The Dreamlands, will also be available.

Q: What role-playing games are available based on Lovecraft or
the Mythos or have incorporated specific names/elements of
the Mythos into the game?

A: Several role-playing games have Lovecraftian elements
incorporated into them, but only one, “Call of Cthulhu,” centers itself in
Lovecraft’s dark universe. Many of the games and supplements below can be
had for sale or auction in the rec.games.frp.marketplace
newsgroup.

“Call of
Cthulhu” (Chaosium) - Call of Cthulhu is the only ‘role-playing’ game
devoted to the mythos. There are primarily 3 time frames that this game is set in
(depending on your preference):

1890’s - “Cthulhu by Gaslight” or just “Gaslight”
1920’s - “Call of Cthulhu” (the original game)
1990’s - “Cthulhu Now”

In addition, there is one other ‘setting’ which is used (not in time, but
in place):

“Dreamlands” - based upon the dreamlands setting created by Lovecraft, et
al.

The basic premise of this game is that players act out (verbally, in
general; some interactive role-playing might be used) the parts of
“investigators” in a world where cults of evil humans, and strange
monsters of both indigenous and outer-worldly origin are trying to bring
about the re-emergence of the imprisoned Old Ones (or Great Old Ones). The
actions of all game elements, besides those of the players, are controlled
by the “Keeper of Arcane Secrets” (or “Keeper”). The ultimate goal of the
investigators is to discover, and thwart, the evil minions of the Old
Ones, without dying a horribly mutilating death, or going irrevocably
insane.

6070 - GURPS
(“Generic Universal RolePlaying System”) CthulhuPunk (Steve Jackson Games) - A
supplement called ‘CthulhuPunk’ was released in late March of 1995. It is
a cross between “Call of Cthulhu” and GURPS Cyberpunk, using the GURPS
system. Chapters include “The Cthulhu Mythos,” “The CthulhuPunk World,”
“Characters,” “The CthulhuPunk Campaign,” “Investigators,” “Cultists,”
“Mythos Bestiary,” “Adventure Seeds,” and “Conversions.”

Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (TSR) - AD&D is not devoted to
the Cthulhu Mythos, but rather to fantasy/medieval adventuring. However,
their first printing of a book called “Deities and Demigods” contained
AD&D game statistics for the “Cthulhu Mythos.” While the list is pretty
inconsistent with what Call of Cthulhu players (and Lovecraft readers in
general) feel, it is still interesting for some DMs to throw a “shoggoth”
into the forray on occasion, to keep players on their toes.

“Toon” (Steve Jackson)
- The “Tooniversal
Tour Guide” (Steve Jackson Games, supplement to TOON cartoon
role-playing game) contains 21 pages on “The Crawl of Catchoolu,” the
rules for an extremely silly Mythos spoof, where one can find such
horrible tomes as “The Pop-Up Book of Forbidden Knowledge” and “The
Necronomicomizomicon.” Also included are details of Mousekatonic
University in Darkham, MA; horrible creatures such as “Yu-Go, the Fungi
from Cleveland,” “Deep Clowns,” “Crisponians” and “The Insanity Loss
Results Table” which includes such dire consequences as “Become an
accountant” or even “Take up wargaming.”

g = For Cthulhu by Gaslight
n = For Cthulhu Now
d = For (or containing 1 or more adventures set in) Dreamlands

Some of the following aren’t really game materials, but are
included as a possible interest to people who play Call of Cthulhu (The 2
Field Guides actually are, IMHO, great game materials).

Runequest - The Gateway Bestiary (June, 1980). This supplement
included “Additional Monsters for Runequest,” and was written by Sandy
Petersen. It included a chapter of “H.P. Lovecraft Creations” including
Deep Ones, Great Race, Mi-Gos, Nightgaunts, Old Ones, Shoggoths, and Spawn
of Yog-Sothoth.

2009-X - Call of Cthulhu, first edition.

2009-DX - Call of Cthulhu, Designer’s Edition.

2009-X? - Call of Cthulhu, second edition.

2010 - Shadows of Yog-Sothoth, first edition (1982). A campaign
scenario including the following chapters: “The Hermetic Order of the
Silver Twilight,” “Look to the Future,” “The Coven of Cannich,” “Devil’s
Canyon,” “The Worm that Walks,” “The Watchers of Easter Island,” and “The
Rise of R’lyeh.” Two bonus scenarios, “The People of the Monolith” and
“The Warren” are included as well. [NOTE: This campaign was reprinted in
Cthulhu Classics (3301).]

2012 - The Asylum.

2301-X - Call of Cthulhu, third edition (1983, boxed). Includes the
second edition rulebook, “A Sourcebook For the 1920’s,” and a folded world
map. Brief scenarios include “The Haunted House,” “The Madman,” and “The
Brockford House.”

2302 - Shadows of Yog-Sothoth, second edition.

2303 - The Asylum and Other Tales (1983). Scenarios include “The
Auction,” “The Madman” (not the same scenario that appeared in the second
edition rules book), “Black Devil Mountain,” “The Asylum,” “The
Mauretania,” “Gate From the Past,” and “Westchester House.”

2305 - The Fungi From Yuggoth (1984). A campaign scenario including
the following chapters: “The Dreamer,” “The Thing in the Well,” “Castle
Dark,” “Sands Of Time,” “Mountains of the Moon,” “By The Bay: Part I,” “By
The Bay: Part II,” and “Day of the Beast.” Two optional scenes, “Halls Of
Celaeno” and “Voice Out of Time” are included as well.

2306 - Curse of the Cthonians (1984). Scenarios include “Dark
Carnival,” “The Curse of Chaugnar Faugn,” “Thoth’s Dagger,” and “The City
Without a Name.” Also included is the article, “The Kabbalistic Science
of Gematria.”

2307-X - Masks of Nyarlathotep, first printing (1984, boxed). A
campaign scenario that includes the following chapters in individual
books: “New York,” “London,” “Cairo,” “Kenya,” and “Shanghai.”

2308 - Trail of Tsathogghua (1984). Scenarios include “The Trail of
Tsathogghua” and “The Curse of Tsathogghua” (both form a mini-campaign),
as well as “The Haunted House” (not the same scenario that appeared in the
second edition rules book).

2314-X - Cthulhu by Gaslight (g), first edition (1986, boxed).
Includes “A Sourcebook for the 1890s,” “The Yorkshire Horrors,” and a map
of London.

2315-X - H.P. Lovecraft’s Dreamlands (d), first edition (1986,
boxed). Includes “The Dreamlands,” “Dream Journeys” and a map of the
Dreamlands. Scenarios included in “Dream Journeys” include “To Sleep,
perchance to Dream,” “Captives of Two Worlds,” “Pickman’s Student,”
“Season of the Witch,” “Lemon Sails,” and “The Land of Lost
Dreams.”

2320 - Green and Pleasant Land (1987, with Games Workshop).
Sourcebook for early 20th-century Britain. Scenarios include “The Horror
of the Glen,” “Death in the Post,” and “The Shadow over Darkbank.” Also
includes a short story by Brian Lumley, “The Running Man.” [Contributed
by: Ed Pflager
(epflager@aol.com)]

2321 - The Great Old Ones (1989). Scenarios include “The Spawn,”
“Still Waters,” “Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?,” “One in
Darkness,” “The Pale God,” and “Bad Moon Rising.”

2330 - Return to Dunwich (1991). Articles include “Welcome To
Dunwich,” “Secrets of Dunwich,” “The Village,” “A Guidebook To Dunwich
Environs,” “The Underground,” “The Dunwich Horror” and “Secrets,
Mysteries, Legends, & Rumours.” The only scenario included is “Return To
Dunwich,” although there is sufficient material throughout the book for
several scenarios. Also included is a fold-out map of the Dunwich
area.

2331 - Horror on the Orient Express (1991, boxed). An enormous
campaign scenario that includes the following individual books: “Campaign
Book,” “Through The Alps,” “Italy & Beyond,” “Constantinople &
Consequences,” “Strangers On The Train,” and player handouts. The
contents of each book includes:

Also included is a map showing “Routes of the Orient Express,” passports,
luggage stickers, “The Scroll of the Head,” “The Sedefkar Simulacrum,” an
Orient Express poster, and 4 sheets showing the plans of 12 train
cars.

2332 - Dark
Designs (1991, g). Scenarios include “Eyes for the Blind,” “The Menace
from Sumatra,” and “Lord of the Dance.”

2333 - Kingsport (1991). Articles include “Welcome to Kingsport,” “A
Town History,” “The Kingsport Cult,” “A Kingsport Chronology,” “A
Guidebook to Kingsport Environs,” and “Plagued by Dreams.” Scenarios
include “The House on the Edge,” “Dreams & Fancies,” and “Dead in the
Water.” Also included are two fold-out maps of Kingsport; one remains in
the book, one is to be removed.

2334 - Tales of the Miskatonic Valley (1991). Scenarios include
“Freak Show,” “Regiment of Dread,” “A Painted Smile,” “Watcher in the
Valley,” “Fade to Grey,” and “Trail of Yig.”

3305 - Cthulhu Casebook (1990). Most of the contents were taken from
“The Asylum” and “Curse of the Cthonians.” Scenarios include “The
Auction,” “The Madman” (not the same scenario that appeared in the second
edition rules book, “Black Devil Mountain,” “The Asylum,” “The
Mauretania,” “Gate From the Past,” “Westchester House,” “The Curse of
Chaugnar Faugn,” and “Thoth’s Dagger.” Articles include “The Ten
Commandments of Cthulhu Hunting,” “Sinister Seeds,” “Death Reports,” and
“Insta-Plots.”

3306 - Curse of Cthulhu (1990). Most of the contents were taken from
“Fungi from Yuggoth” and “Trail of Tsathogghua.”

5101 - Miskatonic U. Graduate Kit (1987). Items include a course
catalog from the School of Medieval Metaphysics, a presentation diploma, a
diploma frame (cardboard), a student body card, a student ID card, an
alumni association card, a restricted stacks library pass, a cafeteria
card, a “Cthulhu is Coming” button blank, a parking sticker, a school map
place mat, a bumper sticker (possibly inspired by yours truly!), a rear
window sticker, and a notepad from Pickman Hall.

5101-M - Master of Arts Diploma.

5101-D - Doctoral Diploma.

5102 - Investigator’s Kit.

5105 - S. Peterson’s Field Guide to Cthulhu Monsters (1988). 27
different monsters are illustrated, a relative size chart is given, and a
“Scientific Key” allows you to determine the identity of a monster through
a series of questions.

5106 - Cthulhu Covers.

5107 - S. Peterson’s Field Guide to Creatures of the Dreamlands
(1989). 31 different monsters are illustrated, maps of the Dreamlands are
included, and a “Scientific Key” allows you to determine the identity of a
monster through a series of questions.

1004 - The Golden Dawn (1996). Includes scenarios “The Room Beyond,”
“Hell hath No Fury,” “La Musique de la Nuit,” and “Sheela-na-gig.” Also
includes 12 chapters with resource materials on the occult order of The
Golden Dawn.

???? - End Time (A seperate roleplaying game from CoC; stands alone;
due out 94/95)

2100 - The Resurrected, Volume One: Grace Under Pressure.

2101 - The Resurrected, Volume Two: Of Keys And Gates (1994).
Includes “The Travesty,” “The House on Stratford Lane,” “Within You
Without You.”

???? - Courting Madness.

???? - Stark Raving Mad!

RAFM - Miniatures

2011 - Great Cthulhu

2012 - Lovecraft Country

2901 - Doctor (male), sane & insane (3)

2902 - Professor (male) (3)

2903 - Dilettante (female) (3)

2904 - Student Investigator (male) (3)

2905 - Parapsychologist (female) (3)

2906 - Journalist (male) (3)

2907 - Priest/Exorcist (3)

2908 - Holy Sisters (3)

2909 - Thugs (3)

2910 - Private Investigators (3)

2911 - Soldiers (3)

2912 - Gangsters (3)

2913 - Scotland Yard Trio

2914 - Sinister Scientists

2915 - Crazed Clergy

2916 - Servants and Staff

2917 - Townsfolk

2918 - Police

2921 - Nightgaunt Demonic Servito

2922 - Deep Ones Mutant Fishermen (3)

2923 - Dimensional Shamblers (3)

2924 - Great Race of Yith Alien Being

2925 - Servitors of the Outer God

2926 - Cthonian Giant Worm

2927 - Shoggoth Protoplasmic Horror

2928 - Flying Polyp Aerial Horror

2929 - Formless Spawn of Tsuthoggua

2930 - Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath

2931 - Ghouls (varied transformations) (3)

2932 - Byakhee - Hybrid Winged Thing

2933 - Hounds of Tindalos

2934 - Nyarlathotep

2935 - Elder Thing

2936 - Tsathoggua

2937 - Cultists (3)

2938 - Maniacs (3)

2939 - Mi-Go

2940 - Hunting Horror

2941 - Moon Beast

2942 - Ghasts (2)

2943 - Serpentmen (3)

2944 - Sand Dwellers (3)

2945 - Yig

2946 - Gug

2947 - Lesser Other Gods

2948 - Y’Golonac Great Old One

2949 - Leng Spider

2950 - Tcho Tcho People

2951 - Wapir?

2952 - King in Yellow

2970 - MU Expedition to Egypt

2971 - MU Expedition to Antartica

2972 - MU Expedition to the Amazon

2973 - MU Expedition up the Mekong

Theatre of the Mind Enterprises (TOME):

T-1 - The Arkham Evil. Includes three “interlocking campaigns”: “The
Throat of the Beast,” “The Wanderer,” and “And the Dogs Shall Know
You.”

T-2 - Death In Dunwich (1983). Includes a map of Dunwich and a
Keeper’s screen. [Contributed by: Ed
Pflager (epflager@aol.com)]

T-3 0983 - Pursuit to Kadath. The All Seeing Eye of The
Alskali.

T-4 128304 - Whispers from the Abyss, and other tales. Includes “On
the Wings of Madness,” “De Schip Zonder Schaduw,” and “Whispers from the
Abyss.”

Chaosium Digest (Shannon Appel) - This is a weekly e-mail digest for
people to exchange ideas on all of Chaosium’s games. See the “Internet” part of this FAQ for details on
subscribing.

Different Worlds (Chaosium)

#35 - Special Horror Issue: “More Magic for Call of Cthulhu,” “Blame
it on Cthulhu,” “Death Scenes” - This article, written by Sandy Petersen,
was later incorporated into the “Cthulhu Companion” by Chaosium, “????” -
A Super-hero adventure against a Dhole

#139 - “Speaking with the Spirits” (5 pages) - Outlines rules for
‘more mundane occult practices’, like seances, possession, exorcism.
Originally part of the ‘Spiritualist’ section of ‘Cthulhu by Gaslight’, it
was cut due to space restrictions.

#198 - “The Dragon Project: Mr. Josh Wellmeat” (4 pages) - A CoC
adventure, with the loose concept of a ‘dragon’ introduced into the game.
More of a character sketch than a detailed module, but still very
interesting.

#223 - “The Right Monster For the Right Adventure,” by Gregory W.
Detwiler. Contains a list of creatures from the COC fifth Edition
rulebook and gives suggestions for scenarios appropriate to each.

The Unspeakable Oath (Pagan Publishing) - Since this magazine is
dedicated to the Call of Cthulhu game, it is probably safe to say
any issue is full of articles pertaining to the game. The
information below comes from both the digital versions of TUO, and the
Pagan Pub catalog. Issues 5-9 are 80 pages each.

Written almost entirely by British authors. Gives good ideas about
running CoC in Great Britain. Topics include ley lines, barrow mounds,
the Ottery Tar Barrels. 2 scenarios and a Great Britain map.

#6. Contents include:
Columns: “The Dread Page of Azathoth,” “Scream and Scream Again,” and
“Message in a Bottle.”
Also included is a special “Call of Cthulhu 5-1/2” section with additions
to the fifth edition of CoC. Sections include: “Introduction,”
“Creation,” “Skills,” “Sanity,” “Lunatic Asylums In the Twenties,” and
“Spells”
A campaign using “The Randolph Pierce Foundation” and a scenario entitled
“Blood on the Tracks” are also included.

March 86, #75 - “The Heart of the Dark,” Adventure. Covers three
locations- London, Arkham, and Transylvania. Gives three possible
endings, depending on the nature of the campaign run and the whim of the
Keeper.

Q: What computer games are available based on Lovecraft or the
Mythos?

A: A few computer text and graphic adventures have been based on
Lovecraft’s works.

Alone In the
Dark (I-Motion/Interplay) - This is a graphic adventure made by a French company that recently
made its way over here. It says on the box: “A virtural adventure inspired by the works of
H.P. Lovecraft.” Set in the 20s at a haunted house in Louisiana (!). Very well done and quite
creepy! Its sequel, “Alone in the Dark 2,” is not based on any Lovecraftian
elements.

“I’ve got them both [Lurking Horror and Alone in the Dark], and think they
are VERY good at evoking the mood of a mythos-based story. I highly
recommend them both to any HPL fan.” - Jeff (jeffo@INTERNIC.NET)

Daughter of Serpents (Millennium Interactive Limited) - Although the
box to this game never mentions Lovecraft, the instruction manual states:
“Daughter of Serpents was written as an original contribution to the
Cthulhu Mythos.” The game is very attractive, although the storyline is a
bit forced. It was designed by the same team that made “The Hound of
Shadow,” but is far more sophisticated.

The Hound of Shadow (Eldritch Games, Ltd.) - Published in England,
distributed by Electronic Arts. Graphic/text adventure set in 1920’s.
Specifically mentions “the sinister world of H.P. Lovecraft.”

The Lurking Horror (Infocom) - An all-text adventure set in the
present at a university inspired both by Miskatonic University and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is available in “The Lost
Treasures of Infocom” collections.

“I’ve got them both [Lurking Horror and Alone in the Dark], and think they
are VERY good at evoking the mood of a mythos-based story. I highly
recommend them both to any HPL fan.” - Jeff (jeffo@INTERNIC.NET)

Prisoner of Ice
(I-Motion/Infogrames) - Like its predecessor, “Shadow of the Comet,” this graphic
adventure game is licensed through Chaosium. It takes place in the Antarctic and has elements
reminiscent of At the Mountains of Madness. The game supports SVGA (640x480x256) and has
some very attractive animations.

Quake
(id)—Quake has a number of Lovecraftian influences, including
such creatures as Shub-Niggurath. Sandy Petersen, the creator of the
“Call of Cthulhu” role-playing game, is a developer at id.

Shadow of
the Comet (I-Motion/Infogrames) - Licensed through Chaosium, this
graphic adventure game takes place in the town of “Illsmouth,” and plays
like a CoC adventure. Occasionally, there are flaws in the game design
(like forcing the player to use the keyboard when they’ve been using the
mouse throughout the game thus far), but it’s still a very entertaining
game.

Q: Are any Call of Cthulhu games available vie the internet
(PBEM, MOO, MUSH, etc)?